Bill Text: TX SB609 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a voluntary home nursing visitation program for newborns.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-02-17 - Referred to Health & Human Services [SB609 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB609-Introduced.html
88R4602 SCL-D | ||
By: Johnson | S.B. No. 609 |
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relating to a voluntary home nursing visitation program for | ||
newborns. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 32, Health and Safety Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subchapter G to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER G. VOLUNTARY HOME NURSING VISITATION PROGRAM FOR | ||
NEWBORNS | ||
Sec. 32.201. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
(1) "Community" means a group of individuals within a | ||
geographic region or county, including a tribe or other group of | ||
individuals, living in proximity as determined by executive | ||
commissioner rule. | ||
(2) "Program" means the voluntary statewide home | ||
nursing visitation program established by this subchapter. | ||
Sec. 32.202. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. (a) The commission | ||
shall design, implement, and maintain a voluntary statewide home | ||
nursing visitation program for all eligible individuals with | ||
newborns residing in this state to support healthy child | ||
development and strengthen families. | ||
(b) In designing the program, the commission shall: | ||
(1) ensure the program is flexible in meeting the | ||
needs of the communities in which the program operates; and | ||
(2) as necessary, consult and collaborate with health | ||
benefit plan issuers that offer health benefit plans in this state, | ||
hospitals, local public health authorities, existing early | ||
childhood home visitation programs, community-based organizations, | ||
and social service providers. | ||
Sec. 32.203. PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible for | ||
participation in the program, an individual must apply to the | ||
commission in the form and manner prescribed by executive | ||
commissioner rule and: | ||
(1) must be: | ||
(A) 18 to 44 years of age; or | ||
(B) 15 to 17 years of age and: | ||
(i) have the disabilities of minority | ||
removed for general purposes under Chapter 31, Family Code; or | ||
(ii) apply with the consent of the | ||
individual's parent, legal guardian, or managing conservator; | ||
(2) must be a United States citizen or permanent legal | ||
resident; | ||
(3) must be a resident of this state; | ||
(4) may not have health benefit plan coverage that | ||
covers family planning services; and | ||
(5) must have a monthly maximum family income in an | ||
amount that does not exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty | ||
level. | ||
Sec. 32.204. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. The program must | ||
provide to eligible individuals home nursing visitation services | ||
that: | ||
(1) are based on criteria established by the United | ||
States Department of Health and Human Services for an | ||
evidence-based early childhood home visitation service delivery | ||
model; | ||
(2) are provided by registered nurses licensed in this | ||
state to families of individuals caring for newborns up to six | ||
months of age, including foster and adoptive newborns; | ||
(3) are provided in the individual's home; | ||
(4) are focused on improving outcomes in one or more of | ||
the following: | ||
(A) child health; | ||
(B) child development and school readiness; | ||
(C) family economic self-sufficiency; | ||
(D) maternal health; | ||
(E) positive parenting; | ||
(F) reduction of child mistreatment; | ||
(G) reduction of juvenile delinquency; | ||
(H) reduction of family violence; and | ||
(I) reduction of crime; | ||
(5) are voluntary and do not impose negative | ||
consequences on an individual who participates or declines to | ||
participate; | ||
(6) are offered in every community in this state; | ||
(7) include an evidence-based assessment of the | ||
physical, social, and emotional factors affecting the individual's | ||
family; | ||
(8) are offered to all individuals with newborns | ||
residing in the community in which the program operates and the | ||
families of the individuals; | ||
(9) include at least one visit before the newborn is | ||
three months old with the opportunity for not more than three | ||
additional visits; | ||
(10) include a follow-up visit not later than the | ||
third month after the initial visit; and | ||
(11) provide information and referrals to address each | ||
family's identified needs. | ||
Sec. 32.205. PROGRAM ASSESSMENT; DATA SHARING. The | ||
commission shall: | ||
(1) collect and analyze data generated by the program | ||
to assess the effectiveness of the program in improving the | ||
outcomes described by Section 32.204(4); and | ||
(2) collaborate with other state agencies to develop | ||
protocols for sharing data, including the timely sharing of data | ||
with primary care providers who are providing care to the | ||
individuals with newborns receiving services under the program and | ||
their families. | ||
SECTION 2. The executive commissioner of the Health and | ||
Human Services Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement | ||
Subchapter G, Chapter 32, Health and Safety Code, as added by this | ||
Act, not later than January 1, 2024. | ||
SECTION 3. The executive commissioner of the Health and | ||
Human Services Commission may apply to the United States secretary | ||
of health and human services to obtain a waiver under 42 U.S.C. | ||
Section 18052 to obtain federal financial participation in the cost | ||
of services provided under the voluntary statewide home nursing | ||
visitation program established by Subchapter G, Chapter 32, Health | ||
and Safety Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |